Ps. 98:2, 4

"The Lord has made His salvation known and revealed His righteousness to the nations.... Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth."

The psalmist was deeply aware that God’s redemptive acts on Israel’s behalf were also played out on a stage before the nations. Israel, called to be a kingdom of priests, had the privilege and responsibility of interpreting these acts to the surrounding peoples. We who have come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord have the same privilege and responsibility, made greater by our knowledge of the completeness of Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. What a delight to declare His acts to the nations so that they may respond with joy to their Master!

Pray that the Father will open our lips to tell others of His salvation and righteousness.

Western Yiddish speaking Jews in Israel

Imagine a Jewish girl like Anne Frank surviving World War II, emerging from her hiding place in Amsterdam, and traveling on foot for months, scavenging food, seeking sanctuary in a safe haven of Israel. She arrives and is crushed when she doesn’t receive a warm welcome. In shock, she discovers she is even suspected of collaborating with the Nazis! People barely understand her Western Yiddish, and she is shunned by those she imagined would embrace her.

After the war, waves of Yiddish-speaking Jews from every European country and Russia, flooded into Israel. They experienced rejection, suspicion and dirty looks from their unhappy hosts. Since they had survived the war, some assumed they were Nazi collaborators.

Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, faced the task of uniting refugees from many different countries and cultures into a strong, independent nation. He believed that speaking one language, Hebrew, would help unify the country. Within a few years, Yiddish was outlawed in public places and at official functions. Yiddish language and culture went underground and nearly died out in Israel. But today, young people are curious about their grandparents’ lives and have rediscovered their Yiddish heritage.

Pray that Yiddish-speaking Jews would understand that Jesus fully accepts them, no matter what language they speak or what cultural background they represent. Pray that they will put their trust in Him.-JWS